Brothers wouldn’t face each other afterall.

March 20th, 2006 | by: Ade Lamidi |

A while ago, I blogged that Cote d’Ivoire brothers Bonaventure and Salomon Kalou might make hiistory and face each other in the World Cup.

Bonaventure plays for Cote d’Ivoire and younger brother Salomon was hoping to get his Dutch citizenship to play for Holland. That would have made the Group tie between Holland and Cote d’Ivoire in Stuggart on June 16 interesting.

However, according to BBC the Dutch Immigration minister has ruled against Salomon’s application so he wouldn’t be able to represent Holland in the World Cup Finals.

Salomon had previously rejected several invitations to join the Cote d’Ivoire squad and I am wondering if he would have a change of heart.

If he does, we might have two sets of brothers playing for the Cote d’Ivoire in the World Cup. The Toure brothers Kolo and Yaya are key players in the Elephants team

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Migz

This definitely sucks…I think all that red tape has unnecessarily been strewn all over the place by the Dutch Immigration Minister. They have made exceptions in the past and I am sure she would have done the same, if she had seen beyond her own repressive and inexplicable treatment of Kalou.

The young man is a world-class player who will be an asset to The Netherlands soccer team not only in Germany but beyond that. Does he have any personal interests vested in becoming a citizen so as to play for Holland? Of course he does! Should that and a bunch of superficial and rather meaningless citizenship tests and lab runs that he has been subjected to be enough ground to make that decision? Hell no!

I am utterly disappointed by the Minister, tarnishing the name of a still-very-accommodating Holland, in the name of exercising her jurisdictive muscle.

Be strong Salomon Kalou…the struggle only maketh the man greater.